Ice Fishing For Crappies

[Mayfly]

What do the crappies do in the winter? Are you more apt to find them in deper water or in shallow water. I have a few summer spots where I always catch crappies. Any given day you can find a few there. Would it be the same in the winter or do they generally relocate to different areas.

Thanks.

[Mayfly]

 

[repoman]

i have a good spot on ceder after ice out where there in about 15 fow but ive fishied it in the winter and gotton none , so i think where ever the food is is where there gonna be . i know in the winter usually there deep , but then again ive gotton them 1ft under the ice ...  hard to tell !
should get some good views with this post

[HD]

my expert opinion (though I'm no expert) Is that, crappies tend to be suspended in the deeper holes, as winter goes on, they tend to start staging closer to the shallows as the weather changes towards spring patterens, just off the edge.

[Randy Kaar]

just a question as i am no expert, but wouldnt they
go for deeper water? i would think its warmer there.

randy aka bh

[HD]

during most of the winter, yes, but almost always suspended.

[kenhuntin]

I may be off but my general crappie fishing tactic on any water is to fish two arm stretches down in three arm stetches of water to start. then adjust up or down. Crappies will act completely different on different bodies of water.As well as different calandar days so there is no "gimme" For example on Eagle in Hennepin county a lake I have extensively winter fished There is about a four day period in late Feb. that they bite like crazy and only if you are within six inches of the bottom of the ice. After that they disappear and I have no Idea where they go.

[Spinach]

A few reasons why Crappies and other fish prefer deep water in winter is because the vegetation takes longer to die off, shallow water vegetation dies off much earlier in the winter, they suspend because of the thermocline (forgot the correct term) or something like that. Some lakes that are shallow basins with very little structure do not apply. As spring and warmer weather starts, the fish will move to the shallows, usually the most Northern shallow bays. The vegetation in these area starts coming back to life and attracts baitfish, therefore attracting Crappies, Bluegills and predator fish.

So the pattern works like this.....

Shallow water is best in the spring and very early summer, as the lake warms up, the fish will move deeper. As fall approaches and the water temp declines, they will slowly start moving shallow again, as it gets colder, look to deeper water again. Follow the vegetation and you will find fish!

Crappies can only see above or in front of them a short ways, if your jigging below a Crappie, they will never see your presentation.

Disclaimer...... I wrote this reply really fast and could go into more detail, but this is just some basic information.

[The General]

Here is a topic I feel I have figured out the answer to (just what has worked for me).  This is prety much all I fish for in the winter.  I also like to pick a lake that has just one or 2 "deep" holes say 30 to 60 ft.  When the ice is less then 10 inches and no snow cover I find them located in the weeds next the deep water.  Once the ice is over 10 inches the weeds start to die off (lack of sun) and release Carbon Dioxide into the water forcing the fish to move out deep.  More snow cover starts this process sooner.  This is when it really gets fun.  Then just take your vex and a jug of water.  Pour some water out on the ice checking spots until you find tons of marks.  Drill the holes you need and check again.  Usually this scares them off in a direction.  Then find them again.  Drill your holes.  Do this process until they are back in some of the holes your previously drilled and fish away.  Sometimes you will catch all you need sometimes you have to move and usually they are in a spot you have already drilled holes.  If not repeat the process.  I have always found them within a 50ft radius of where I drill.  Lets say the water is 40 ft deep usually you find the active fish anywhere from 20 to 30 ft deep.  Here's another tip to increase your catch.  Always fish above them a few feet.  If you drop your lure down in the mix after you catch one or two they usually get scared off.  If you pick them off the top you can increase you catch and lesson the times you have to move.

[Wagz]

I am not expert either but I think that the crappies wil move at different times of the year. I tend to find my crappies in the early season pretty much where they were in the fall . This for me has been by shallower weeds next to deeper water as the season wears on and I agree with Pat on this , as the weeds die they use up oxygen not give it off so my feeling is that it is not about cover that makes them move but more about water quaility, They will move out over deeper holes on lakes. As the ice is about to come off or weakens up (late season) and the weeds start to grow again you will find them back at that shallow water weedline.

When fishing midseason like we are now I tend to find deep water and work back towards shallower. This is the time of year when sonar is a great tool. I have caught crappies 5ft under the ice in a 30 ft hole

Deep/shallow all depend on the lake though so it is hard to give depth unless you are on specific lake. I do not just set up on the deepest part of the lake but rather look for deep structure and start there.

[GRIZ]

I dunno amybe it's just me but historically my best action has been the coldest night of the yr. Anyone else notice this? They are suspended sometimes only a foot or so below the ice. Also I've noticed when fishing in deep water and seeing fish on the vex at all depths, the ones nearer the top are more likely to bite. Just some things I've noticed.

Sunday night was a decent bite (cold) last night (warm) got one. Any relation to that?

[thunderpout]

Parts of what ya guys say are true... Heres some stuff I have noticed over the years, ya ever notice when your hittin the crappies suspended, mostly half the depth of the water and shallower, your flasher is picken up lots of stuff under the ice and down to ten feet or so?  Thats the forage they're hunting down to eat, plankton and other invertebreas attract minnows and small fish, and the larger fish herd the group of "food" just like ya see on tv on the underwater shots of reefs in the ocean, or at Cabelas, in the tanks during feeding time!... they'll go above the thermocline to eat if thats where the food is... the remaining weeds in deeper parts of the water give off oxygen, and provide cover for alot of small fish, which is where the predator fish cruise for food... and on the flasher you see those clouds of "food" alot nearer the bottom which I figure are schools of minnows and the like, and thats when the slabbers go nuts near the bottom... Its pretty cool imagining the crappies following and herding their "food" around the lake... somtimes the fish do get lock jaw and will just sit there and sniff yer bait, but most of the time the schools of crappies havent quit bitting, they've just followed their herd of food to a different area of the lake.  Then its your move... do ya sit and wait for em to come by again...or do ya follow the "herd"?  I used to have crappies and sunfish in a large aquarium and would put my left over crappie minnows in after fishing,  even if not in the feeding mode, they would "herd" the minnows to a group to one corner...even larger shiner minnows would get herded up and would dissapear mysteriously overnight!    -thunderpout